Bench Warrant Issued for Student Accused of Murdering Canadian Boyfriend as Trial Awaits

An Accra High Court has issued a bench against Safina Mohammed Adizatu, a student, accused of killing her Canadian boyfriend at Ashaley Botwe in July 2022.

The Court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo was expected to commence trial today but when the matter was called, Safina and her lawyers were absent.

When the trial Judge demanded from the prosecution led by Nana Ama Adinkra, Senior State Attorney (SSA), whereabouts of the accused and she said she did not know.

No one in the audience stood up as a relative of the accused when the Court asked for their presence in court.

The Trial Judge said: “We were to have a date with the jury and the lawyers today for the trial to commence this morning.

Accidentally, the accused and her lawyers are absent without any reasonable cause.

Bench Warrant is hereby issued for Safina’s arrest.”

Safina has been charged with the murder of Frank Kofi Osei, Ghanaian resident in Canada.

She has, however, denied the offence and she is on bail.

Prosecution is expected to call nine witnesses, including Michael Fiifi Ampofo Arku, who was arrested as an accomplice but later released on the recommendation of the Attorney General.

Frank was gruesomely murdered when he visited Safina at Ashaley Botwe School Junction in Accra, according to prosecutors.

The case of prosecution is that on Sunday July 24, 2022, Frank Kofi Osei who was on vacation in Ghana, visited Safina at Ashaley Botwe School Junction and decided to spend the night with her.

Prosecution said that night, Safina and other accomplices, yet to be arrested, allegedly stabbed Osei with a knife and strangled him.

The Court heard that Safina and her accomplices allegedly cleaned Osei’s blood from the floor while the body was in the room for 24 hours.

Prosecution said Osei’s body was carried from the first floor of the storey building down the staircase and dumped at the gate of the house where the deceased had parked his Toyota Tundra.

Safina allegedly called the Police, claiming that her boyfriend, who visited her had died in her room.

When the Police got there, they found Osei’s body at the gate of Safina’s house and arrested her.

The matter has been adjourned to November 13, 2024.